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Northwest Notes: Blatche, T’Wolves, Maynor

August 28th, 2012 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at some items out of the Northwest division..

  • The Timberwolves were in the building to watch Hassan Whiteside work out yesterday and free agent Andray Blatche was also in attendance, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.  It's not known if Minnesota scout Milton Barnes was in Houston, Texas to scope out both players or just Whiteside.
  • Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld runs down the ten most important role players for 2012/13 and includes Thunder point guard Eric Maynor, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.  Over the weekend, I looked at what it might take for Oklahoma City to work out a contract extension for the VCU alum.  While the Thunder are known to be high on Maynor for his ability to manage a game and high basketball IQ, he may not fit in their budget as they look to find the coin to keep James Harden.
  • The Nuggets are on the national radar thanks to their recent acquisition of Andre Iguodala, but David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) believes that the next big star to come out of Denver is backup center Kosta Koufos.  Thorpe notes that Koufos is the only center in the league who finished among the top five in offensive rebound rate and in true shooting percentage last season.  While Koufos may be poised to break out in similar fashion as Marcin Gortat did with the Suns and Omer Asik for the Bulls (now with the Rockets), the Nuggets wisely signed Koufos to a contract extension that keeps him in Denver through 2013/14 at $3MM per year.
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Southeast Notes: Blatche, Van Gundy, Magic, Heat

August 20th, 2012 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

It doesn't appear that 2012/13 will be a season of parity in the Southeast Division. The NBA champion Heat are the overwhelming favorites to win the division again, but the Southeast may also feature a pair of the league's worst teams — when we asked last week which club would finish 2012/13 with the worst record in the NBA, over 80% of you voted for either the Magic or Bobcats. Here are a few Monday notes out of the Southeast:

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Odds & Ends: Casspi, Tolliver, Leonard, Blatche

August 19th, 2012 at 2:30pm CST by Sean Highkin

According to Fox's John Telich, the Cavaliers may buy out Omri Casspi's contract. (Twitter link) FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico tweets that there have been rumors regarding Casspi's want to play overseas. 

Here's a rundown on some of the latest news and notes from around the NBA this weekend:

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Unsigned Amnesty Victims

August 17th, 2012 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

As Hoops Rumors' amnesty tracker shows, exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used their amnesty provisions to release a player and eliminate his contract from their books. These teams are still paying the players' salaries, but don't take a cap or tax hit for the contracts.

Many of 2011's and 2012's amnesty victims quickly found other NBA homes, with many of this summer's amnestied players not even clearing waivers before they were snatched up. But for every Luis Scola or Elton Brand, there's a player who has yet to catch on with another NBA club. Most of the following players are still receiving pay checks from their old teams, but are available to be signed as free agents. Here's the latest on them:

  • Baron Davis: Entering the final year of his old contract with the Cavaliers, Davis is unlikely to sign anytime soon, since he's still recovering from the torn MCL/ACL he suffered in May. However, Davis would like to return before the end of the 2012/13 season if possible, and it sounds like the Knicks would be his first choice.
  • Ryan Gomes: Our rumors page for Gomes is empty since he was amnestied by the Clippers, which doesn't necessarily bode well for his chances of signing somewhere for the coming season. Still, I expect him to at least get a training camp invite from a team, and even if he doesn't, he'll earn $4MM this season from the Clips.
  • Gilbert Arenas: A 2011 cut, Arenas managed to catch on with the Grizzlies for part of last season, but didn't blow anyone away with his performance in Memphis. Based on recent reports, the former 20+ PPG scorer is "slimmed down and fully healthy," which could make him a worthwhile risk at the veteran's minimum.
  • Chris Andersen: It seems that the former Nugget is at least drawing interest, with one report suggesting that he's received offers up to $5MM per year. I think if he truly had even a one-year offer worth $5MM, he would've accepted it yesterday, but the Birdman still looks like a good bet to find a bench spot somewhere.
  • Josh Childress: The Wizards were said to be one of a handful of teams with a little interest in Childress, but based on his horrid 2011/12 season in Phoenix, anything more than a minimum salary for the former sixth overall pick seems unlikely. With three years and $21MM still remaining on his Suns deal, Childress is under no pressure to accept the first offer he gets.
  • Darko Milicic: While spending a year overseas could make some sense for Darko, it appears it's not an option he's considering, based on comments made by his agent. The Heat, Nets, Bulls, and Clippers were said to be interested shortly after he was amnestied, but at least two of those teams have signed other big men since then, so Darko's options may be dwindling.
  • Andray Blatche: Blatche reportedly received at least exploratory interest from the Spurs and Heat, but I wonder if the young forward would prefer to try to rebuild his value on a non-contender that would give him more playing time. Given Blatche's upside, I imagine there are teams willing to take a flier on him.
  • James Posey / Charlie Bell: Both Posey and Bell had just one year left on their deals when they were released in December by the Pacers and Warriors respectively, and neither player has signed an NBA deal since. Bell played overseas this year, and neither Posey or Bell has announced his retirement, as far as I know, but it doesn't seem like an NBA return is in the cards for either player.
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Wizards Notes: Tolliver, Singleton, Blatche

August 7th, 2012 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Wizards are looking to round out their roster with low-cost options and Michael Lee of The Washington Post has the latest on the club's top targets..

  • While it's probably a longshot, the Wizards are one of a handful of teams who have expressed interest in Josh Childress, a source told Lee (via Twitter).
  • Washington continues to pursue forward Anthony Tolliver but the Wizards so far have only offered him a minimum contract.  Tolliver's agent Larry Fox confirmed that the interest is mutual but says that his client isn't “in the minimum game.”  The Pacers, Bobcats, and Timberwolves are also said to be in talks with the 27-year-old.  Fox is certain that Tolliver will get more than that minimum and says that he is in no rush to sign.
  • James Singleton shot down the Wizards' offer of a one-year, minimum contract and now says that he is considering four offers from China.  No matter where he signs, the forward plans to make it a two-year deal.  While Singleton, 31, enjoyed his time in Washington, he says that he expected a more lucrative offer out of the club.
  • The Spurs and Heat have both reportedly expressed exploratory interest in former Wizard Andray Blatche but neither club has made a serious pitch to sign him, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
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Heat, Spurs Discussing Andray Blatche

August 5th, 2012 at 8:35am CST by Sean Highkin

SUNDAY, 8:35am: Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says the Heat are doing background work on Blatche, even though Miami may not be a good fit for the former Wizards player. While the move would give the Heat an inexpensive yet potentially effective piece off the bench, Blatche may have a greater opportunity to earn playing time on a different roster. 

SATURDAY, 6:20pm: ESPN's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are two of the teams that have expressed interest in signing Andray Blatche. Blatche was waived by the Washington Wizards on July 17 using the amnesty clause. No team placed a bid on the remaining three years and approximately $23.4MM on his contract, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

Blatche, 25, averaged 8.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG for the Wizards during the 2011/12 season. He appeared in just 26 games during the season, in which he battled various injuries.

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Odds & Ends: International, Celtics, Sixers, Heat

August 4th, 2012 at 11:21am CST by Michael Pina

As Olympic basketball is underway this Saturday morning, Hoopsworld.com's Alex Raskin takes a look at a few international prospects who could someday make it to the NBA.

Here's a look around the rest of the league. 

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Zwerling On Andersen, Blatche, Amundson, White

August 3rd, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork passed along news yesterday that Kenyon Martin isn't interested in signing for the minimum, and he's got more on a few power forwards today. Let's run down the highlights: 

  • Zwerling updates his story after hearing from Chris Andersen's high school coach, who told him the Birdman would love an opportunity with the Knicks, where he could reunite with former Nuggets teammates Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. Anderson is in talks with a few teams and will be ready come training camp after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee about a month ago, Zwerling adds.

Earlier updates:

  • Chris Andersen is open to signing for the veteran's minimum, after the Nuggets used the amnesty clause to waive the Birdman last month, Zwerling hears. That means the Knicks, who are limited to handing out minimum-salary deals, could be in play, though there's no word that Andersen is interested in heading to New York, Zwerling writes. Andersen is a client of CAA, the agency that represents coach Mike Woodson and several Knicks players.
  • A source close to Andray Blatche tells Zwerling that several teams are after the 6'11" free agent power forward. Blatche, like Andersen, was an amnesty casualty last month, when the Wizards let him go, and Zwerling says some "insiders" predict Blatche will sign a one-year deal with an up-and-coming team where he can be a starter, rehabilitate his image and command an eight-figure salary next summer. Blatche would likely have to make quite an impression this season to make that kind of money, however. Agent Andy Miller told Michael Lee of the Washington Post that teams have not yet made Blatche a significant offer this summer.
  • Zwerling also hears Louis Amundson and D.J. White are in the market for mini mid-level deals that would be close to what they made last season. Amundson drew $2.763MM from the Pacers in 2011/12, while White cleared just over $2MM from the Bobcats. 
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Kenyon Martin Not Interested In Minimum Salary

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks may still add a power forward to their roster this summer, and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com notes that Kenyon Martin could be the best fit for New York. However, a source tells Zwerling that Martin won't sign for the veteran's minimum, which is all the Knicks have left to offer (Twitter link).

Despite signing well after the season was underway, Martin managed to land a $2.5MM contract with the Clippers in 2011/12, earning the team's full room exception. However, in the 42 games he played for the Clips, Martin established career-lows in many statistical categories — the former first overall pick averaged just 5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 9.9 PER, perhaps reducing his appeal this summer. If the 34-year-old were to sign for the veteran's minimum for 2012/13, he'd earn just $1,352,181, by far his lowest salary since he entered the league.

If Martin remains unwilling to sign a minimum-salary deal, Andray Blatche could be an option for the Knicks, Zwerling suggests (via Twitter). Because he's still being paid by the Wizards, the amnestied Blatche may be more open to signing for the veteran's minimum.

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Wizards Owner Talks Blatche, Wall, Roster

July 20th, 2012 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis sat down with Washington Post columnist Mike Wise earlier this week to discuss a number of topics related to his team's offseason and its recent acquisitions. Leonsis provided a number of interesting quotes on the Wizards' roster decisions, so let's dive right in and check out the highlights….

On the decision to amnesty Andray Blatche:

"I [was] torn. I believe people should have second and third chances. On the other hand, I don’t know where he fits now in this lineup. On the other hand, he [was] the last remaining touchpoint from the previous teams. That’s what [was] being discussed and weighed…. I’m not afraid of amnestying him and paying him the money. We have turned the entire lineup in one and three-quarters seasons. We shouldn’t forget Gilbert [Arenas] played here John Wall’s rookie season until he traded himself to Orlando."

On whether Leonsis recognizes Blatche's contract extension was a mistake:

Yes — we made a mistake. Although the NBA has had close to $250MM of amnestied players to date. Sometimes you get a chance to take a mulligan under the new rules and that is what we did."

On when a star player might want to come to Washington in free agency:

"I think when we can establish we’re a perennial playoff team and when we have one or two young stars — real, legitimate stars. Everyone knows that John Wall is a burgeoning star…. I think most people in the league feel this year, next year that John has the opportunity, if he improves, to be a real star player…. I view it as my part of my mission as an owner to create an environment, fan base and player development system that allows him to be a star. I think it’s a two-way street. You can’t put the onus on just the player. You have to surround him with the right people, have the right coaches."

On the expectations for the coming season:

"I won’t be happy with our plan if we’re back in the lottery…. If we just miss making a playoff spot, no, the world is not going to end. If we’re picking third because we have the second-worst record, no, I will not be happy…. We’ve turned over the roster, turned over the coaching staff. We’ve have good drafts. We took the second-highest-paid player in the league — I think one of the bloggers calculated he averaged $23K per minute — and replaced him with two players that will play big minutes who each averaged 10-15 points a game. We were getting zero from Rashard [Lewis]."

On how the team's roster is different after this year's trades:

"Culturally, every one of these guys is a good guy. It’s a big change. And no one is playing for a contract. I don’t think Nick [Young] and JaVale [McGee] were bad people. But they wanted stats. I understand that, relate and get it. But they weren’t playing as a team. You saw at the end of the year with Nene, who already got his big contract, right. So stats weren’t important to him. The little things were important to him."

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